By Mike London
mlondon@salisburypost.com
West Rowan’s girls stayed unbeaten with a strong win at Carson on Tuesday.
The Falcons won the SPC contest, 55-36, to end a seven-game losing streak to the Cougars.
Taylor Martin had 14 points and seven steals for the Falcons. Freshman Mary Sobataka had 13 points. Khaila Hall had 10 points and eight assists. Egypt Alexander and Shanice Miller combined for 18, and controlled the boards with some help from Hall.
Carson (4-2, 3-1 SPC) focused its defensive effort on Hall and was able to slow her down some.
“Khaila’s shots weren’t falling tonight, but when the shots aren’t falling you have to do other things and she did,” West coach Ashley Poole said. “She found a lot of ways to help us win.”
West (4-0, 3-0 SPC) didn’t shoot especially well — 36 percent, and a lot of missed layups — but the Falcons did everything else right.
Carson had won four in a row since an ugly opening loss to Davie, but the Cougars took a step back.
“West played with a lot of maturity and we showed a lot of immaturity,” Carson coach Brooke Misenheimer said. “We’ve been playing well, but tonight we played scared and played selfish. I’m really disappointed. There’s a lot we have to work on.”
Carson had some momentum at halftime after scoring the final seven points of the first half to trail 22-19. Sydney Taylor made a 3-pointer at the horn for the Cougars.
But West took charge a decisive third quarter. Martin scored off a steal to push the lead to double digits, and then Hall slipped a no-look, underhand pass to Miller for an easy two.
Hall’s stepback 3-pointer made it a 13-point lead.
Moments later, Hall found Alexander for a pointblack bucket and a 17-point lead.
Carson had scored 50-plus points in four straight games, but scoring leaders Olivia Gabriel and McKenzie Gadson never got anything going against West.
Sobataka had big transition buckets early in the game and at the start of the fourth quarter. Her older sister, Alison, played for the Falcons a few years ago.
“This was really her first big game in front of a big crowd, and she really did well,” Poole said.
West is home tonight against a good Davie squad. Davie is 5-3.
West Rowan 55, Carson 36

WEST ROWAN (55) — Martin 14, Sobataka 13, Hall 10, Alexander 10, Miller 8, Vaughters.
CARSON (36) — Gadson 9, Ketchie 7, Taylor 6, Shumaker 5, Turney 3, Gabriel 2, Street 2, Wiggins 2, Furr, Jackson, Fesperman.

West Rowan 17 5 14 19 — 55
Carson 8 11 7 10 — 36